


Convention

by EmbarrassedDragon234



Series: What is normal anyway? [1]
Category: Invader Zim
Genre: A little ooc near the end, Autism, Autistic Character, Autistic Dib, But also still ZADE, Dib rants a bit, Gen, Kind of implied ZADF, Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Non explicit mentions of ABA like therapy, Their whole messed up relationship, Zim encouraging Dib in his own special way, he feels better by the end though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-08 12:50:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13458636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmbarrassedDragon234/pseuds/EmbarrassedDragon234
Summary: Dib waved his arm weakly, "Like. Like. Eye contact, you're supposed to make eye contact when you talk to people, not that anyone ever tells you that. You're just supposed to know."The alien looked at the boy on the sidewalk, was the Dib joking? "But hyumans become uncomfortable under extended eye contact, like a squeal beast hiding in a burrow, I have done much research on the subject."The boy laughed harshly. "Yeah, it's apparently a delicate balance. Stare too long and you're freakish. But don't make eye contact at all and you're considered rude at best." He frowned. "You'd think I would have figured out how to work the system by now, but I'm still just as confused as when I was five and first walked into a psychiatrist's office."In which Dib is sad and Zim, somehow, makes him feel better.





	Convention

**Author's Note:**

> Because Dib is Autistic and nothing anyone says will convince me otherwise. 
> 
> Warning for kind of implied and minimally described ABA like therapy(Not really talk about any sort of methods, just some of the results) and Dib talking about people seeing him as less than human.
> 
> Probably set a few years after the series, Dib's probably 13-15 here
> 
> (Also, I like using non swear words where swear words should be, I honestly think it's funny)

 

 

 

 

"Oh, _come on_! it's not that hard to believe!"

Zim frowned, watching the Dib-stink trying to convince the other worm babies about some sort of bigfeets or another, he wondered why the stink baby still tried so hard.

He, of course, understood when it came to him, he was, after all, a threat to the pig beasts. He only wondered why the Dib beast tried so hard to convince everyone about all the other things he believed. Wouldn't it be easier for the Dib to pretend to be just like all the other idiotic stink beasts on this planet?

Him being who he was, Zim didn't wonder very long and marched over to the despondent boy, who was now sitting on the side of the sidewalk, seemingly not even paying attention to the alien coming up to him.

Well, that would not do. He was _ZIM_! He was the Dib worm's greatest _enemy_! The big-headed child was not allowed to let others' words affect him. Only _Zim's_! "Dib stink! What is making your idiot hyuman face even more idiotic than usual!" Zim growled. "TELL ZIM! Tell Zim _now_!"

Dib jumped, apparently he _hadn't_ heard the great Zim approaching; yes, there was definitely something wrong with the pig smelly, "W-what?"

"You heard me Dib Stink! Now _speak_! Before Zim destroys your pitiful hyuman face for annoying me!"

Dib snorted, "You could try," he mumbled, out of habit more than anything else, it seemed. He sighed. "It's not important. Not to _you_ anyway, you know for once I'm not really in the mood for a fight, so why don't you just come back later."

Zim hissed. Impudent worm child! "Then Zim will _guess_. You are upset, for _some_ reason, because the other worm babies didn't believe you about your Bigfeets again. Even though they have never once believed you before and are far too stoopid to _do_ anything about it if they suddenly did believe you." Zim sniffed, _really_ it wasn't that hard to figure out. What _was_ hard to figure out was why the big-headed boy kept trying to _save_ these pitiful worm beasts.

Dib glared at him, "Thanks, Zim, that makes me feel _so_ much better. Oddly enough, that wasn't even what was upsetting me this time, so now I feel _worse_ , thanks."

Zim growled. "Then what could you possibly be so upset about Dib-human!?"

Dib made a sort of growly, pained, arhg noise in the back of his throat and stood eye to eye with the invader, " _Because_ , in case you haven't noticed, I am the only one in this stupid place without any friends!" Zim meeped and backed up a step, only to have Dib invade his personal space again. "Gosh! I mean really! Even _you_ managed to make a friend in this-this- _Heck_ hole! Even if it was just so you would look 'normal' I can't seem to make a friend to save my life. So _excuse_ me if I'm a little bitter about that, ok?!" He then sighed and sat back down on the curve. "Oh, never mind, it's not like you understand something as-as stupid as not fitting in. You're an alien."

Zim stood, gaping, for a few seconds, his pak trying to catch up and process the sudden changes the Dib boy went through. Then blinked, and narrowed one eye cynically "Do not presume things you know nothing about, Dib-thing." Really, just because he was the best invader _now_ didn't mean he wasn't still-well-extremely height challenged. Then he huffed. "Really, if you care so much about what those other pig smellies think, why do you not just pretend to be a normal idiotic worm baby and not speak about your paranatural Dib things?"

"Oh sure, and let you take over the world without any resistance? Yeah, right."

"I am not speaking of the greatness that is ZIM!" Zim proclaimed. "I am talking about your other super-para science thingys"

Dib blinked, he seemed surprised that Zim hadn't taken the chance to try and convince him to stop chasing him. "Oh," Then he laughed, and flopped onto his back on the sidewalk. "I'm pretty sure 'normal' stopped being a possibility the moment I was born." He looked up at the sky and sighed. "Unfortunately normal's an unattainable dream, at least if I don't feel like using all my energy for that instead of on things I actually _enjoy._ " The boy looked lost in thought, but oddly relieved, like he was grateful to be able to say this to anyone, even if it _was_ his greatest enemy, "Truthfully I'm not sure if I could pull it off anyway. It's like they can smell that you're different. One wrong word or under or overenthusiastic reaction and you're labeled a freak. Something...not human." He started gesturing angrily with his arms, "And I _hate_ it! Why am I the one who's labeled as not human! I _am_! Just because I can't follow all their stupid cues and unwritten rules doesn't mean I'm any less human than they are!"

Zim squinted, what was the Dib going on about now? "Rules? What rules? I have not heard of these _rules_?" How could he have missed something so important to his mission?

Dib waved his arm weakly, "Like. Like. Eye contact, you're supposed to make eye contact when you talk to people, not that anyone ever _tells_ you that. You're just supposed to _know_."

The alien looked at the boy on the sidewalk, was the Dib joking? "But hyumans become uncomfortable under extended eye contact, like a squeal beast hiding in a burrow, I have done much research on the subject."

The boy laughed harshly. "Yeah, it's apparently a delicate balance. Stare too long and you're freakish. But don't make eye contact at all and you're considered rude at best." He frowned. "You'd think I would have figured out how to work the system by now, but I'm still just as confused as when I was five and first walked into a psychiatrist's office."

Zim glared at Dib, "The Dib beast went to a hyuman brain doctor?" It was. . . annoying. That he didn't know that. "Why? And why didn't I know about this already?"

Dib sat up on his elbows, a confused look on his face. "Well, it didn't really seem an important thing to tell my enemy." He laid back down. "Plus, it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience for me. There's a reason I don't trust the school counselors, Mr. Dwicky was just the most recent reason."

He frowned. "My dad was...concerned," read, being driven out of his mind by, "my obsession with the paranormal. At that time it was actually even more intense than it is now, of course, a five-year-old can't exactly understand why they should learn things they're not interested in at all. Or why only talking about one subject in excess might not be a good thing." He looked up at Zim with his eyes, as if to judge his reaction to his story so far, but the invader simply made a 'go on' gesture with his hand, so he kept talking. "Apparently the psychiatrist's were also concerned. And they noticed more than dad did. By the time I left I had an Autism diagnoses and an appointment to what _they_ called therapy but what _I_ call 'governmentally approved brainwashing.' They tried to make me act like everyone else. Even if it was just an act, or at the cost of my health. They didn't _care_ , as long as I seemed normal on the outside."

He glared at the sky, "They weren't exactly nice about it either." He mumbled. "Sometimes I still have nightmares. They made me think that if I didn't act perfectly people could 'tell' that I wasn't 'normal' I, in my five-year-old paranormal obsessed brain, took that to mean they would think I wasn't human. I guess I was right about that." He murmured bitterly.

Zim stared at the Dib beast, shocked at what he heard. The hyuman brain doctors had tried to brainwash the Dib smeet and had _failed?_ Perhaps not completely, but the big-headed child still certainly had his own brain thoughts squirming in that big big head of his, and still cared enough about his own brain self to not harm himself pretending for those idiot human worm babies. That was...commendable. Especially if the human brainwashing techniques were anything like Irken ones. He smiled. Well of course Zim's enemy would be the strongest! That was simply how things like this worked. Although...the Dib human didn't seem to think the same thing. Even going as far as to say he thought he didn't act like a stupid human pig smelly. Well, he would just have to set him straight.

He marched the few steps to lean over the human's form, then pointed a finger at the boy, "You listen Dib stink! You are most certainly a human pig smelly!"

Dib looked confused. "H-huh?" Was Zim...trying to encourage him?

Zim hissed. "You are a human pig smelly! And you are the human pig smelly that _I_ the great _ZIM_ has decided to be his enemy until one of us should perish at the other's hands! That means you are the best human pig smelly out of all the human pig smellies on this whole pig smelly planet!" He raised his head pompously "Do you understand Dib human?"

Dib blinked, eyes wide, mouth gaping. Zim...Zim _was_ encouraging him! It wasn't exactly the most _coherent_ encouragement but. . .

He smiled. "I-yeah. Yeah, I think I do." He chuckled. "Thanks, Zim."

**Author's Note:**

> And that was my first story on this site! I might eventually write more Autistic!Dib, if I can think of anymore ideas, because there needs to be more of it. (Hopefully, my next one won't be so angsty. This one wasn't supposed to be, but then Dib started pulling a Nny and ranting, so I just let him go and let Zim cheer him up)
> 
> Also, I really wish I could have an optimistic outlook for Autistic people in this verse, but honestly? It's IZ verse, so it's not likely.
> 
> Although I am completely convinced that when Prof. Membrane found out that the therapists were hurting his son instead of helping (And since this is iz verse, I can safely say they knew exactly what they were doing, so no need to worry about that) he not only got them fired so badly they never got work again, but also bought the building and turned it into one of his labs instead.
> 
> Also it's 4 in the morning, I haven't slept all night, and this hasn't been beta read. So I'll probably come back and edit through it again when I get some sleep.


End file.
